Commons Sense

House of Commons · Westminster Hall

Sibling Sexual Abuse

22 March 2022 · 2 other contributors · 3,916 words

Opened by Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

Responding minister: Rachel Maclean

Justice & CourtsSafeguarding & DBSChildren & Families

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Wera Hobhouse raised concerns about sibling sexual abuse in Westminster Hall. A government minister responded.

Key points

  • The issue of sibling sexual abuse is complex and often overlooked, leading to underreporting due to a lack of consistent definition and clear identification methods.
  • Children are three to five times more likely to be abused by their siblings than by other adults in the home environment, with over 10,000 incidents recorded from 2017 to 2020, nearly a quarter being sibling sexual abuse cases.
  • The Home Office recognises sibling sexual abuse as an atrocious form of sexual abuse and is funding research on the topic, with the Online Safety Bill aiming to address this issue.

Key requests to Government

The Minister is asked to update the Home Office's tackling child sexual abuse strategy to include and respond appropriately to sibling sexual abuse as the most common form of child sexual abuse in homes. The Liberal Democrats also seek updates from colleagues in the Department for Education and the Department of Health and Social Care regarding their safeguarding approaches.

How the debate unfolded

MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said.

Opened the debate

Wera Hobhouse Lib Dem Bath

The issue of sibling sexual abuse is complex and often overlooked. It involves one sibling sexually abusing another, which can have devastating lifelong consequences for both the victim and perpetrator. The lack of a consistent definition and clear identification methods contributes to underreporting. Statistics indicate that children are three to five times more likely to be abused by their siblings than by other adults in the home environment. Over 10,000 incidents were recorded from 2017 to 2020, with nearly a quarter being sibling sexual abuse cases.

Other contributors (2)
  • Jim Shannon DUP Strangford

    Jim Shannon raised a survey from New England colleges and universities that found 15% of females and 10% of males have reported some type of sexual experience involving a sibling. He also highlighted that one in seven under-age children who watch porn are more likely to engage in sexual experimentation with their sibling, questioning if we must work harder to protect children from the dangers of online pornography.

  • Maria Miller Con Basingstoke

    I will call Wera Hobhouse to move the motion and then I will call the Minister to respond. There will not be an opportunity for the Member in charge to wind up, as is the convention for a 30-minute debate.

Government Response

Rachel Maclean

It is a pleasure to serve under your chairmanship, Mrs Miller. I thank the hon. Member for Bath (Wera Hobhouse) for tackling this extremely difficult subject and for doing so in such a sensitive and constructive way. The Home Office recognises sibling sexual abuse as an atrocious form of sex abuse with its own individual characteristics. The tackling child sexual abuse strategy specifically addresses this issue, and we have funded research on the topic. The Online Safety Bill will ensure that young children are not exposed to pornographic content online before it is appropriate. During a three-month snapshot survey in 2020, the Internet Watch Foundation logged 511 self-generated child sex abuse images and videos involving siblings, with 65% of cases involving direct sexual contact between the siblings. We know that sibling sexual abuse is likely to be one of the most common forms of intrafamilial sex abuse but it remains under-reported across the country. The Home Office is rolling out relationships, sex and health education as a statutory requirement across primary and secondary settings. The first ever national conference on sibling sexual abuse was facilitated by Rape Crisis England and Wales, funded partly by the Home Office, bringing together frontline professionals and practitioners to learn from best practice. We are funding the centre of expertise on child sexual abuse to drive a co-ordinated response to child sexual abuse across the country. The harmful sexual behaviour support service for education and safeguarding professionals is helping build confidence in addressing all forms of sexual abuse, including sibling sex abuse. I am keen to work constructively with the hon. Lady in the spirit in which she has approached this subject. We will not shy away from this often stigmatised and sensitive issue. We are determined to work across Government with victims and survivors to ensure that they get the support they need to rebuild their lives.

Get updates like this by email
▸ Assessment & feedback
Summary accuracy